Never Again
by Kurosawa-san
Summary: This takes place at the end of Episode 1. Rico survived but her overprotective father refuses to let her step foot on Ragol. A new scientist takes her position and decides to finish surveying the foreign planet. Who is this man and what are his intentions?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All rights go to Sega. I do not own any of the characters except Pira/Berry, Dawn and Blitz.

A/N: This fic was written a few years back. I found it recently and tweeked it a bit.

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My name is Pira but everyone calls me Berry. Weird I know. I'm pretty young to be in my profession of a hunter. I'm only thirteen and already I have A class clearance. It's probably do to my pryokinetic ability. It's pretty cool but nowhere near as powerful as my older sister's. She can engulf six enemies in flame at once! It is probably more but that is the most I have seen her take out.

I love Dawn but I'm so jealous of her. She has a beautiful tan and beautiful deep violet eyes. Her hair is beautiful and is white as freshly fallen snow. Did I mention she is beautiful? All the guys love her. I would too...Not that I'm that way. We're complete opposites. I'm pale. Not like paper but I appear so in her presence. My eyes are a dull grey and I have red hair. I guess that is how I got my name. Sometimes I wish I could be just like her.

A sound interrupts my thoughts. I turn to my desk and see that my monitor has the envelope icon blinking. I sigh and click on it. I skim the contents and I sigh again. "Another mission...Wait another mission! Sweet!" I pause and reread the message. "Hunter Berry, I have an urgent mission for you. Please meet me in my office, ASAP." I race to the shower. The water is cold but I quickly change that. Dawn always scolds me for that. Saying things like "one of these days you're going to exhaust your power on such miniscule things." What does she know?

After my shower I dressed in my navy blue top and shorts. Then I put on my pink over shirt and tie-dye stockings. I run to my dresser and brush my hair. After tying on my blue bandana and slipped on my shoes. Dawn says that they look like a cross between leprechaun shoes and platforms. I couldn't agree more. But hey, I like them.

I run out of the apartment not caring to say anything to my sister, who is sitting in the kitchenette sipping what I guess, is coffee. I grimace. Coffee is so nasty. Especially the way Dawn drinks it. I run past the grey buildings of Mercury II. They stretch all the way to the ceiling, some even scraped at the virtual sky. More lipstick on the hog, to make this hunk of space metal more tolerable.

I skid to a halt in front of the transporter to the Captain's office. I breathe in and adjust my hair and clothes before stepping in. In a blink of an eye, the Captain stood before me. I walk up to him and notice a young man beside him. He is handsome to say the least. He has long dark brown hair and his deep green eyes, which accented his handsome features, were hidden behind thin rimmed glasses. He wore a long white lab coat with his hands stuffed in the pockets.

"Ah Berry, my best Hunter, I'm glad you could come. This is Van Blitz." He motioned to the man beside him. I nod to him. "He is our newest head scientist and..." The Captain looked kind of mad. I think it's because his daughter, Red Ring Rico, wasn't the best scientist any more. I smiled inwardly. "...for here on out. Are you listening? Berry?"

"Can you please repeat that sir?"

"I said Blitz is the newest head scientist and he will need an escort to Ragol to collect data."

"What?" I heard myself say.

"Is there a problem?" I shook my head.

"I was just wondering why you didn't send Rico or Dawn." It felt good knowing that I got the job but it still bugged me why he wouldn't send someone more experienced.

"Rico has been reassigned to the Lab and Dawn is currently working on a new mission." I narrowed my eyes, studying the old man's face. I knew for a fact Dawn wasn't on a new mission. Number 1 being that she was calmly drinking her nasty brew like she didn't have a care in the world. Number 2 being...I'm still working on it. I do know that he doesn't want Rico back on Ragol after what happened. I could understand that.

"Do you accept?"

"How much am I getting paid?" I didn't want to sound greedy but I had to know. I wasn't going to waste my time protecting some researcher for free, even though he was a total babe. Damn, I have been listening to Sandra and Maria for too long.

"5000 credits."

"For how long?" I tried to keep calm.

"As long as he needs you. You'll get paid 5000 credits for each week of service."

"Really?" I could hear the glee in my voice. Why wouldn't I be happy? I'm getting paid like 700 credits per day to protect an extremely handsome guy while he looked at plants.

"Yes."

"Of course you'll have Sunday off." I turn my head towards Blitz. That was the first time that I heard him speak. His voice was kind and seeing his smile made me want to melt. I regained my composure.

"When do we start?"

"Now." He smiled again and I felt butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

Bevenuti a tutti. Vi presentoil Capitolo Due di 'Never Again.' Divertirsi!(Welcome everyone. I present to you Chapter two of Never Again. Enjoy!)

Disclaimer: Io non sono la proprietaria di PSO.(I am not the owner of PSO.)

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As we walked toward the Transporter, I flashed my clearance and the guards let us pass. The wall slid into the ground and we crossed the threshold. The lights turned on revealing the dormant Transporter in the center of the room. The console sat before it, its lights dimmed to conserve energy. I turned it on and brought up the unfinished map of Ragol.

"Which sector are we going to?" I asked. There weren't many sectors we had access to, mostly only the coastal regions. His arm brushed against my shoulder as he leaned in pointing to sector 6, the newest conquest. With quick strokes, sector 6 was locked on and we stepped onto the Transporter pad.

"Stand by for Transport." The computerized female voice announced. Rings of blue light encircled us as it connected to the second Transporter. The rings slid up and down our bodies, as if memorizing our likeness. Dawn tried to explain it once, but as long as the thing worked who cares why it works?

You never really get used to Transportation, tolerant yes, but never used to it. My stomach lurched as we touch-downed in a forest region. The smaller pad was tucked into a dead end, surrounded by walls of rock on three sides littered only with small plants. The only way out was either scaling the walls or through the metal gate.

"Is that really necessary?" He asked pointing to the gate.

"This is your first time on-world."

"Am I that obvious?" He chuckled.

"That door might look out of place but it's saved a ton of lives, mine included." We stood before it and I placed my hand on it. A light blinked green and the gate parted in the middle.

"The Naturalists believe they are harmful to the local flora and animals." He said as we started down the path. I led, swatting at overhanging vines and leaves with my staff.

"They can spew whatever they want but I have yet to meet a Naturalist that actually stepped foot here. This isn't a peaceful planet. The animals are vicious and attack on sight or smell for some." The trees began to thin into a clearing. It was another section sealed on two ends. "The gates are ugly but they serve a greater purpose. It keeps them away from us. The Naturalists call it an eyesore. Me? It's a piece of home, a reminder of what we have accomplished, taking this planet a sector at a time."

He bent over a large leafy plant. "Animal aggression could be spawned from a territorial stance. Whether humans can live on Ragol with its natural habitants is one of the reasons we planned this expedition." That stopped me. I turned to see his smiling face. "Is it safe to assume the Captain left out the details of the mission?"

I tried to hide my blush by keeping my head down. It worked for the most part until I walked into a tree. I rubbed my forehead not daring to look up. I knew what he was thinking. He probably thought I was just some kid who ought to be playing with her dollies. He probably would have preferred Dawn. They might of fell in love at first sight and as soon as they hit Ragol they...My mind trailed off and I could feel the immense heat radiate off my face as I pictured myself in Dawn's place. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I sneaked a glance at Blitz, who was recording his notes.

I sat on the bank of a brook and rested my forehead in my palm. How could I have been so stupid? Spewing nonsense from my mouth without even realizing who he was.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your nap." My head snapped up so quickly, I thought it would have fall off. He stood up with a test tube in his hands, a leaf poked its head I stared at him a while longer before I remembered where I was. I shifted my glance to his sample.

"Are you done here?"

"Yes. We better move on before it gets dark." I hopped off my rock and we made way deeper into the forest. All was fine, except there were no animals. _'That's so weird.'_ I thought. We reached another door, only this one wouldn't open. I kicked it, which I regretted. "Stupid door." I mumbled under my breathe nursing my poor foot.

"Did you hear that?" I was surprised by the seriousness and awareness in his voice.

"Hear what-" Three savage wolves and two barbarous wolves leaped out of nowhere. They growled in unison with their black eyes full of only hunger. Without a second thought, I leapt in front of the scientist. They began circling us, waiting for an opening. "Don't let them see your back," I whispered, "they'll take any opening to attack." Just as I finished my sentence, two wolves jumped from our left and right. I shot foie at one, and turned around to hit the other with my staff. They fell back into formation as if nothing had happened.

I scanned the area; a wall was right behind us. I pushed Blitz's back into the wall, still guarding him. "Keep your back to the wall." I didn't know if he nodded or at least agreed with my command. I stepped forward slowly; the wolves were now pacing back and forth. Once I saw the two blue wolves side by side, I cast foie again. It hit both right in the face, they whined in pain, temporarily blinded by the pain. I smirked, and ran up to them. With two to three hits, I usually kill them. I spun and smacked another right as it jumped. I took out the blue wolves and their little grey friends. I turned around to Blitz to see if he was alright.

"Look out!" I turned around again, starting to feel like a ballerina. Another creature had entered the clearing. Its muscle rippled under its golden fur. _'Gobooma. Great.'_ The golden native of Ragol brought down its, claw upon me. My barrier responded to the attack in a soft blue glow. I didn't have time to counterattack when a booma decided to join us. 'This is just like the time when...'

"Ugh." Yep, I got knocked down. I rolled away and got to my feet. I threw three foies. Two hit the booma and killed it. The third hit a nearby Rag Rappy that no one knew was there. It ran away, and the Gobooma advanced toward me. I tried another foie. Keyword being 'tried'. Two, three, the fourth time a flick of flame appeared in my hands. I smiled but frowned when the flame was snuffed out. I looked up into the Gobooma's empty black eyes. I froze, unable to do nothing.

I have been up against many foes on this alien planet. Never once I froze in the middle of battle. Why now? The claw descended on me, my feet glued to the ground. I closed my eyes, waiting for the claw to rip me to shreds. Instead, a heard a growl of pain. The Gobooma had its back towards me. I leaned to the right to see Blitz with a small handgun in his hands. I smiled. The animal started walking towards the said scientist. _'NO!_' My hand tightened its grip on my cane, and drove it into the Gobooma as if it was a saber. The golden thing yelled in pain, but still kept nearing the 'man with the most beautiful eyes'. Anger sparked inside me, mixing with my fear. It was getting warm. Too warm. I didn't care. All I cared about was Blitz. I held my hands out to the creature and it burst into flames. The flames soared up another ten feet from its victim. The Gobooma cried out again and melted. I didn't know how else to describe it. I looked over a Blitz, he's face was unreadable.

I wanted to go over to him but I was just to try to move. My knees felt like rubber, seemingly without bones. I fell to my knees, staring at my hands. 'That was different.' I smiled weakly. Blitz was in front of me now. He was saying something. Some type of words. I shook my head to let him know I didn't understand. I regretted that movement too. Suddenly all was dark and dark was all. I heard words being said but couldn't comprehend anything. I mentally sighed, and rested in the darkness of my subconscious.


End file.
